1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the construction of wildlife habitats, and, more particularly, to constructing wildlife habitats of various sizes and shapes inside of poles and towers utilized for utility and non-utility functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Poles and towers of different shapes and sizes are commonly used in a variety of applications to suspend various pieces of equipment and other components above ground. For example, poles and towers are currently used for supporting communication equipment, high area lighting, and in utility applications, such as power transmission and distribution. Utility applications require an enormous volume of poles to support transmission and distribution power lines. Today, a significant number of utility transmission and distribution power line systems utilize wood pole construction. In addition, a large amount of the high area lighting, such as sporting event lighting, highway lighting, and ornamental lighting, utilize wood pole construction.
For various reasons, many utility and non-utility poles and towers deteriorate prematurely. One substantial cause of pole and tower deterioration is wildlife animals, such as woodpeckers. Often, woodpeckers and other wildlife animals make their homes in large holes that they have burrowed inside of a pole or tower, such as a wood utility pole, which may result in the pole or tower suffering from reduced reliability or rapid deterioration. In addition, the problem may be exacerbated when wood poles, such as power transmission and distribution poles, are erected in rural areas having a large wildlife population.
One method currently used to increase the reliability of applications using poles and towers and to prevent pole destruction by wildlife animals is to replace old poles and towers with new poles and towers made of stronger more durable materials such as, steel, fiberglass, concrete, and composite or aggregate material. Concrete poles tapered and shaped similarly to conventional wood poles may be used to replace failing wood poles in existing systems, such as power transmission and distribution. Typically, the concrete poles are made with a hollow center, which reduces the weight and cost of the pole.
Concrete poles are extremely durable and are typically capable of repelling any undesirable activity from wildlife animals. Unfortunately, wildlife animals are usually not easily discouraged from making their homes in poles and towers. For instance, most wildlife animals, such as birds, reptiles, mammals, etc., living inside wood poles that are replaced with concrete poles move to the next nearest wood pole and reestablish their home. The process of wildlife animals making their home in the next available wood pole is generally a repeated cycle regardless of the number of wood poles that are replaced with concrete poles in a given area.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.